Ottawa, ON – The Canadian government is dragging Canada backwards when it comes to doing our fair share and protecting our climate. Instead of getting closer to our climate goals, this report shows we are getting further away. We are already feeling the devastating impacts of climate change across the country with unprecedented summer flooding and forest fires. Failing to take meaningful action to reduce our pollution is saddling our children and grandchildren with a problem that is only going to get harder to deal with. It doesn’t need to be this way. We know that solutions exist today to meaningfully tackle climate change. Just yesterday Ontario announced the closing of another giant coal plant. Canada needs to act now to create good jobs and a strong economy based on the clean energy economy that will define this century. The alarming numbers in today’s report demonstrate a failure to be on track to meet our climate goals. The government needs to right this wrong. One way to take meaningful action would be by putting in place federal regulations on Canada’s soaring tar sands pollution that will see emissions go down, not up, and give Canada a fighting chance at a safer future. The report shows Canada has backtracked and is now further from its 2020 climate goal than it projected it would be in last year’s report. In 2012, it was expected that Canada’s emissions would be at 720 Megatonnes (MT) of greenhouse gas pollution by 2020, 113 MT more than the federal goal of 607 MT by 2020. This year’s report shows that Canada is projected to be at 734 MT by 2020, 127 MT more from the 2020 goal. About ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (www.environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is Canada’s most effective environmental action organization. We challenge, and inspire change in government, business and people to ensure a greener, healthier and prosperous life for all. -30- For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: Naomi Carniol, Environmental Defence, 416-323-9521 ext. 258; 416-570-2878 (cell) ncarniol@environmentaldefence.ca